[David]

Well it wouldn't be so bad if you can just swap the screen... I promise to try this. I would however appreciate a donation of an old B5 cluster if someone has one they aren't using. I know a few people have swapped theirs out do to failing pixels. If someone has one they didn't throw out contact me. I'm willing to pay shipping and a small fee for what would otherwise collect dust. But at least I can see if putting in a color screen is at least a possibility.

I'll of course have to get a color gauge set off of ebay which is going to cost me a few hundred which is why it would be nice if someone could through out their replaced cluster this way

David

 

[S4atlast!]

David, I believe I have one laying around somewhere if you want to make me a donation. send me a pm.

 

[PetrolDave]

I'll of course have to get a color gauge set off of ebay ...

I didn't realise the gauges are different too? Any pics?

 

[Roch_Ultrasport]

I went to the dealer today to talk me out of this. He did a pretty good job when he said the cluster would be $800 (already including a small discount and tax and the core charge for the missing return part) and 1 hour (another $160) would be sufficient to get it installed. I thanked him for the quote and drove back thinking that the red cluster is not that bad at all. Does anybody know if Clairparts sells clusters?

Whoa... Close to $1,000 USD just to get another cluster that's insane. Not for what it costs (considering what it does and how integal it is to the vehicle's operation) but as to why ne1 would pay it.

I think that the new LCD screen in the B7 looks alot better than the one in the B6's but not at that price.

 

[David]

Dave I was referring to the B5 to B6 gauges. The trial will be to try and put an LCD in place of the Dot screen of the B5. Once I get my hands on the B5 gauge set I'll pick up a B6 off of eBay and begin the comparisons. Since the gauges receive their information through the same manor it may only be the screen that's different.

Since LCD screens can be built with their own controller it may be as easy as adapting the screen from one type of plug to another. Not that I think anything is ever that easy.

I will how ever walk the path and see what I find. This may end up a viable solution for others in the future with a B6 to a B6 swap. It would be much cheaper to buy a used gauge set and swap the screen then to pay the huge cost of a dealer set with matching code.

David

 

[AudiA4B6US]

Others get new shoes, a bigger turbo or a nice body kit. Call me insane but my UltraSport had all of this already, so I got this:
[siteimg:3b09e261c1]132[/siteimg:3b09e261c1]

 

[AvanTTix]

insane indeed... :shock: but i want one too... :wink:

any details on cost, installation, and what not...

 

[AudiA4B6US]

Well, what does a K04 cost? Just joking. The numbers I mentioned earlier were pretty much what is it: $660 for the cluster, $560 with AW discount (or from ClairParts), $200 because I did not have an old cluster to return and about an hour labor. I did keep my old cluster (anybody need a B6 cluster with 15k miles on it?), maybe I'll sell that on ebay.

The reason why I made the step were some messages on the German board which said that the Color DIS is connected different compared to the basic DIS. The guys over there tried to move just the LCD and it didn't work to well. So, unless you find a used one with the correct milage your options are very limited. And I didn't get it from Clair Parts because I needed the dealer to install it and reprogram all 4 keys.

One thing I noticed is that the issue with the DIS not displaying navigation instructions is gone. With the basic DIS I had to turn the navi off and back on to get the instructions. Now, with the Color DIS, whenever I start route guidance, the DIS changes properly.

 

[Roch_Ultrasport]

$660.00 + $200.00 + maybe an hour at the dealership, I'm thinking that upgrade cost you close to $1,000.00 (with tax)

U my friend have money to burn..

 

[AudiA4B6US]

As I said, no turbo, bigger wheels, new exhaust or latest chip. Everybody has different preferences...

 

[Roch_Ultrasport]

True dat

 

[AvanTTix]

Well, what does a K04 cost? Just joking. The numbers I mentioned earlier were pretty much what is it: $660 for the cluster, $560 with AW discount (or from ClairParts), $200 because I did not have an old cluster to return and about an hour labor. I did keep my old cluster (anybody need a B6 cluster with 15k miles on it?), maybe I'll sell that on ebay.

The reason why I made the step were some messages on the German board which said that the Color DIS is connected different compared to the basic DIS. The guys over there tried to move just the LCD and it didn't work to well. So, unless you find a used one with the correct milage your options are very limited. And I didn't get it from Clair Parts because I needed the dealer to install it and reprogram all 4 keys.

One thing I noticed is that the issue with the DIS not displaying navigation instructions is gone. With the basic DIS I had to turn the navi off and back on to get the instructions. Now, with the Color DIS, whenever I start route guidance, the DIS changes properly.

i need to get on of these...!!! =P~

so the cluster itself cost you $760 ($560 + $200)... well that's not bad at all... i got a local quote in the same ball-park too...

so how much more information do you get displayed in the DIS compared to the red one when you're using the Nav? i mean i know there is more, but how much more? price and colour aside would you say it's worth it?

i know the graphics are much better in the colour DIS, i know some of the street names in the red DIS don't fully display...

 

[AudiA4B6US]

The street names are about twice as long but smaller (more condensed). The navi information is shown slightly different, but basically the same information. I don't have a picture from a turn but it's now red on white, easier to identify where to go. The check system looks nicer too, with animated symbols and a green OK.

When I first got in the car I wasn't 100% sure if it was worth the money. It's not clear from the pictures (mine and all the others I have seen) but the resolution is not like I'm used to from a SVGA+ laptop. if you have ever seen a Treo 600 and Treo 650 next to each other, I would say the color DIS is the 600 and the laptop display is a 650. You can see the pixels but I would still say I'm 90% satisfied.

The main differenceis that it looks now like the next generation from the inside. All red was nice in the B5, red with white scales was nice in the B6, but all white with only the important stuff in red is definitely B7 and enough for the next 3 years until the B8 appears.

I would recommend to test drive a B7 with the navi and make up your mind. It's a lot money, but some pay the same just for a couple more hp or some 10th of a second faster 0-60. I'm fine with how it is now and I really like it.

[siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]136[/siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]
[siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]137[/siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]
[siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]138[/siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]
[siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]139[/siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]
[siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]140[/siteimg:b62ed8a5f6]

Check my picture poster on AW, there are some before and after pictures posted. I'm gonna try to get some better pictures which show the resolution better and are sharper (still have to figure out how this camera works).

http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/users/86480.phtml

 

[currannc]

AudiA4B6US,

Do you think it is possible to do this modification on the old B5 platform. Particularly the 2001 era with Can-bus?

 

[AvanTTix]

damn that sounds really good...

like you know, i've been looking at ways to upgrade to the colour for some time now, especially since getting the CD nav... and noe that i'm moving to the next generation ( :wink: ) switching cluster really sounds like the next move...

 

[AudiA4B6US]

AudiA4B6US,

Do you think it is possible to do this modification on the old B5 platform. Particularly the 2001 era with Can-bus?

Based on what I read so far I would say no. The guys over at audi4ever.at were playing with the color cluster and they said that the color DIS does not fit in a cluster made for the red DIS. For a B5 it's even more difficult because up to a certain MY, the DIS is soldered and very hard to remove and re-seat. And there was never a color DIS for the B5.
So, for the B5 I don't think there is a cluster with color DIS which works. For the B6 there is at least a cluster which has the color DIS but retrofitting a used cluster is not that easy because you can't change the milage and may not have the PIN to train the ECU.

 

[AudiA4B6US]

More picture, some from very close to show the resolution of the B6 color DIS:
[siteimg:b1be3f8efd]141[/siteimg:b1be3f8efd]
[siteimg:b1be3f8efd]142[/siteimg:b1be3f8efd]
[siteimg:b1be3f8efd]143[/siteimg:b1be3f8efd]
[siteimg:b1be3f8efd]145[/siteimg:b1be3f8efd]

 

[Stoodo]

What is the function of the Symbol to the left of the 14 on the clock?

 

[AudiA4B6US]

In Germany you can get a radio controlled clock module which automatically sets date/time. Not sure about the rest of Europe and the US but I haven't seen it here so far.

 

[Stoodo]

Thanks for the info. It would be nice if we could set our clusters from the GPS antennas at least.